What do you guys think about these statistics concerning kids in the US? I think is very terrifying and despite what everybody else say I think marijuana is the open door for many other serious drugs.
Did teen perception, use of marijuana change after recreational use legalized?
Marijuana use increased and the drug's perceived harmfulness decreased among eighth- and 10th-graders in Washington after marijuana was legalized for recreational use by adults but there was no change among 12th-graders or among students in the three grades in Colorado after legalization for adults there, according to a new study. Ref. Source 9u.
As long as you are an adult, marijuana is actually nothing to be concerned of except for the stigma and its illegality. For teenagers and young though, there is concern because their brains are still developing.
Honestly, a real eye opener was watching the episode of Adam Ruins Everything on drugs. All in all, how marijuana became illegal and why is actually pretty messed up.
As well had the "War on Drugs" just made things worse then it otherwise would have.
Unfortunately drug use is seen as 'cool' among teenagers and so many people try it. Drugs of any kind (Including alcohol and marijuana) are really bad for teenagers. Mostly because they are still developing and adding other chemicals into their bodies changes how their natural chemicals will work. Among adults Marijuana and alcohol are fine because our brain chemistries are pretty well set and while we disrupt them briefly with the drug use, they can return to normal. Teens are changing so much their bodies don't know what normal is, and with continued use of any substance, their body will come to accept it as a normal part of their lives, making living without it as an adult even more difficult.
Hey, as a user of both marijuana and alcohol, I feel I am pretty much qualified to say this: Marijuana is only a gateway drug if your child has been [misinformed]. From TV and movies, and from my own parents, I learned that weed is far, far better than other drugs. That is, it has numerous health benefits, barely any negatives, and is much more ENJOYABLE than most other drugs. I've never wanted to try cocaine, or mushrooms, or heroin - those are addictive drugs(Weed is not), those drugs have several major negative side effects, and the high they give you, from what I've heard, isn't really too cool sounding. It all depends on information - you tell your kid all drugs are bad and will kill you, than when he inevitably tries weed and is OK, he may think "HEY! That wasn't true at all! Lemme check out this other stuff… " and boom - they can end up hooked to something serious. Alcohol is far more dangerous than weed - really, I think its a serious blessing that weed is becoming more popular. Though really its been in common use for teens and college kids for 40 years - I'd be surprised if it never [occurred] to YOU to try weed. Just my thoughts on the matter, though!
Delaying marijuana smoking to age 17 cuts risks to teens' brains, new study suggests
Adolescents who smoke marijuana as early as 14 do worse by 20 points on some cognitive tests and drop out of school at a higher rate than non-smokers. But if they hold off until age 17, they're less at risk. Ref. Source 4p.
Legal cannabis laws impact teen use. A new study has found that adolescents living in medical marijuana states with a plethora of dispensaries are more likely to have tried new methods of cannabis use, such as edibles and vaping, at a younger age than those living in states with fewer dispensaries. Source 3h.
Depression among young teens linked to cannabis use at 18. Young people with chronic or severe forms of depression were at elevated risk for developing a problem with cannabis in later adolescence, found a study looking at the cumulative effects of depression in youth. Source 5r.